Class of 2006

Browse commencement speeches from 2006, including addresses by Tom Brokaw, John McCain, and Ben Bernanke. Each record links to the available source material, transcript, video, and archive context.

14 addresses 10 themes 6 highlights

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Highlights from 2006

Records with stronger source signals, summaries, transcripts, videos, or visual archive material.

  01     Tom Brokaw Stanford University Tom Brokaw addresses Stanford's Class of 2006, opening with humor about being a less-than-unanimous speaker choice before turning to serious reflection on the responsibilities facing the graduates. He urges them to honor those serving in the military, engage in debates over national security, and recognize the limits of technology in solving real-world problems like poverty, war, and the rising hostility between the West and the Muslim world. Drawing on his decades of journalism, he celebrates ordinary people who act on conscience and invites graduates to carry on the legacy of the 'greatest generation' by living their convictions beyond the keyboard.    InfographicSummaryTranscriptOfficial source   02     John McCain Liberty University McCain congratulates graduates and their parents, then reflects on his own youthful arrogance and the value of debate in a free society. He defends his support for the Iraq War while affirming the right and duty of Americans to argue over such issues, and argues that human rights are God-given and universal, citing genocide in Darfur and Rwanda. He closes by recounting his friendship with David Ifshin, a former Vietnam War critic, to illustrate that political opponents are countrymen, not enemies.    InfographicSummaryTranscript   03     Ben Bernanke Massachusetts Institute of Technology Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke delivered the principal address at MIT's 140th Commencement, offering a brief history of economics at MIT and praising its faculty, including Nobel laureates Samuelson, Modigliani, and Solow. He described a 'virtuous circle' in which economics, science, and technology mutually reinforce innovation and economic development, and emphasized the benefits of global competition and free trade. He urged graduates to seek new opportunities and to make a difference through service, volunteering, and their choice of work.    InfographicSummaryOfficial source   04     Michael Ignatieff Niagara University Michael Ignatieff, speaking as a Canadian at a Catholic university, celebrates the friendship between Canada and the United States and salutes the tradition of Catholic higher education and service. He offers graduates advice: to make college a family tradition, give back to the university, respect themselves and others, and truly own their own lives. He closes with reflections on courage in its many forms—the courage of love, of service, and of staying true to oneself without being ruled by fear.    InfographicSummaryOfficial source   05     Margaret Spellings Montgomery College Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings congratulates Montgomery College's Class of 2006, praising community colleges as essential paths to the American dream and highlighting the school's nursing and teacher-training programs. Drawing on her own winding career path and advice from her mother, she offers graduates guidance about lifelong learning, self-confidence, aiming high, and giving back. She recognizes individual students and service members among the graduates.    InfographicSummary   06     Marian Fontana Massachusetts School of Law Marian Fontana, whose firefighter husband died on September 11th, reflects on her life before and after the attacks, arguing that true success lies in noticing and cherishing small everyday moments rather than pursuing only grand goals. She shares personal anecdotes about her husband Dave, raising their son Aidan, and coping with grief, alongside the story of a 9/11 victim's list of life goals. She encourages graduates to live in the moment, show compassion, and dare greatly as they enter their careers.    InfographicSummary   